2026 NFL Week 8 Preview and Predictions: Part 1

Teams on Their Bye Week:

San Francisco 49ers (6-1)

New York Giants (4-2-1)

Houston Texans (2-5)

New Orleans Saints (2-5)

(3-3) Carolina Panthers @ Green Bay Packers (4-3)

This week’s Thursday Night Football clash sees the Green Bay Packers welcome the Carolina Panthers to Lambeau Field! The Green Bay Packers enter Week 8 off the back of a tight loss in Detroit, and they currently sit bottom of the NFC North! As for Carolina, they got humiliated 43-13 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last time out, and yet they still currently lead the NFC South! In the end, surely The Packers are going to win this game?! The fact that Green Bay is last in their division with a winning record, whilst The Panthers are first without a winning record, speaks highly of the uselessness of the NFC South!

(4-3) Baltimore Ravens @ Buffalo Bills (5-1)

A blockbuster AFC clash is set in stone for this Sunday as the Buffalo Bills host the Baltimore Ravens! The Buffalo Bills enter Week 8 off the back of 2 wins and a Bye, and they currently lead the AFC East! As for Baltimore, they got smacked 35-13 by the Cincinnati Bengals last time out, and they currently find themselves bottom of the AFC North! In the end, I’d expect Buffalo to win this game! That might change if Lamar Jackson is able to return to the field, but for now, The Bills are better!

(1-6) Tennessee Titans @ Cincinnati Bengals (4-2)

The Cincinnati Bengals thumped the Baltimore Ravens 35-13 in Maryland last weekend, and they currently sit third in the AFC North! As for Tennessee, they lost 27-24 at home against the Cleveland Browns last time out, and they currently find themselves bottom of the AFC South! In the end, this should be a very straightforward win for The Bengals! Joe Burrow might rip The Titans’ defense to shreds!

(2-5) Arizona Cardinals @ Dallas Cowboys (3-4)

The Dallas Cowboys picked up a much-needed victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Week 7’s Monday Night Football, and they currently sit second in the NFC East! As for Arizona, they lost comfortably to the Denver Broncos last time out, and they currently find themselves bottom of the NFC West! In the end, I think Arizona are going to win this game! The Cardinals suck, which is exactly why they’re going to beat The Cowboys!

(6-0) Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions (4-2)

Another big early slate game sees The Lions take on an undefeated Vikings side in an all-NFC North clash! The Detroit Lions picked up an important victory over the Green Bay Packers last weekend, and they currently sit third in the NFC North! As for Minnesota, they’re now the only unbeaten team left after they defeated the Indianapolis Colts last time out, and they currently lead the NFC North! In the end, I will pick The Lions to be the team to end The Vikings’ unbeaten run! This is a proper test for Minnesota’s defense, one that I think Jared Goff and Detroit will come out on top!

(3-4) Las Vegas Raiders @ New York Jets (2-5)

The New York Jets suffered an embarrassing defeat last weekend at home against the Miami Dolphins, and they currently sit third in the AFC East! As for Las Vegas, they lost yet again last time out against the Los Angeles Rams, and they currently find themselves third in the AFC West! In the end, I will pick Las Vegas to win this game! Mostly because The Jets suck; last week was awful!

(5-2) Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2)

What a Part 1 Preview it’s been, as the Cleveland Browns battle the Pittsburgh Steelers for the right to lead the AFC North! The Pittsburgh Steelers managed to beat the New Orleans Saints in the first-ever NFL game in Paris last weekend, and they currently sit second in the AFC North! As for Cleveland, they came from behind to beat the Tennessee Titans last time out, and they currently lead the AFC North! In the end, I am going to back Pittsburgh to come out of this game victorious! As well as The Browns have been doing, I think The Steelers are the most complete team in this division!